My grandfather came to the US from Mexico in the 1960s. He worked extremely hard all his life to support his children and grandchildren. He was a farm worker and helped with the organization of the farm workers union. I am incredibly proud to be the grandchild of a hard-working immigrant. Because of my grandfather's dedication to working, he put his needs on the back burner to take care of us and often did not take care of preventable diseases, such as tooth decay. After completing my second Bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene, I feel I will have a more active role in the community and help out a marginalized community. Being a third-generation immigrant, I feel like my family is more generous and empathetic toward other immigrant families and others. I am incredibly grateful for this and hope to pass the generosity and empathy on to future generations. After I complete the Dental Hygiene program, I hope to bring my business experience and Dental experience to underserved communities like Chicago, Illinois, and Gary, Indiana, for low to no-cost services to help bring the community together and help others understand the importance of preventative care and seeking out medical assistance. My family found strength and resilience through many hard things that came into their lives. We have helped other families in need and have made a network of community members who help each other out when times get tough for each other. I will never forget how my family came together to support my mom after our dad passed away. Because of their generosity, I passed on the kindness when my friend's grandfather passed and our neighbors lost their job. I can see the kindness spreading to the next generation with my nieces as they are excited to go to college and enter the medical field. They are both Spanish speakings and hope to have a positive influence in the community. My family is the biggest blessing, and I hope this scholarship will benefit me as I can spend more time with my grandparents in their later years so I will not have to worry about finances for the upcoming school year and can focus on grades and my family. With this scholarship, I can further honor my grandfather's legacy and pass on the kindness that has been shown to my family and me for many years to come. Thank you for your consideration!

I have known I was a lesbian since I was 13 years old. I grew up in a Hispanic Baptist family, and I went to a Baptist school all my life. Since graduating high school and entering college, I have gained the courage to come out of the closet to my family and friends. It has been a fantastic journey for me, and although it has been difficult in some aspects, I try to look at these challenges as something that will only make me stronger. I have grown up hearing many harsh things about being gay. I am hoping with this scholarship; I can keep pursuing my degree to show other kids in the closet that you can be successful and happy even if you have different beliefs. I appreciate your consideration!

I lost my dad at 19 years old. It was hard as he was the main person in my life. My mother left us young. Losing my dad made my family and I realize how meaningful our relationships with each other are. I hope to finish my degree as I had to drop out of school to help with the funeral expenses and help take care of my family. I've started going back to school, but the scholarship money would be beneficial as it would mean more time to spend with my siblings and my grandparents, who have been helping out with us since my father passed. I had to overcome a lot, especially after my father's passing. I have tried to teach my siblings about strength as my dad tried to. This scholarship would be a huge blessing to my family as I am trying to finish my degree as debt-free as possible. This has included working multiple jobs and going to school part-time. I want to show my siblings that no matter the trials, we can still lead successful lives. This scholarship would also let me pursue my degree and be able to help my family out in the future. I appreciate your consideration!

Seeing my father pass when I was 18 was extremely hard for my family and me. I have three older sisters and a younger brother. I learned to enjoy life and the people around me from my father's passing. We grew incredibly close as a family after he passed, and although we were close while he was alive, we could have been closer for his sake. His passing has also taught me to be more empathetic and forgiving to others. I am much slower to anger than I used to be, and I have become more understanding and open-hearted. This has, in turn, shown my nieces and nephew that it is ok to be kind to others. I will encourage people to spend more time with their parents and grandparents. After my father's passing, my grandma stayed with us for a couple of months to help make sure that we were ok. Getting that unconditional love helped heal our hearts in many unexpected ways, and we were able to have a stronger relationship with her. She moved back to her house, but we still have weekly visits and calls. Having a closer relationship with my family has also let me mend friendships with old friends and has given me a more fulfilled life. The acts of kindness we received from many were another lesson I learned as it has impacted me years later. I had explained to many that my father's passing had genuinely brought out the best in many people, and seeing them go the extra mile when they didn't have to will still bring a tear to my eye to this day. It has helped me pass on kindness to others and not see the world in the harsh way I used to see it. I am unapologetically who I am now. I lived in fear of not being liked or being too strong-minded for others. After having such a tragedy as my father's death, I have realized that life is too short to live a life that is not best for me, being who I truly am, the strong-willed person I have been, having earned me respect and to be treated fairly, this has also given me the courage to stand up for others, I have seen in my nieces in nephews that they are willing to speak up for those who are not being treated fairly. While my father's death has hurt my family in many ways, we have been taught so many life lessons that we genuinely appreciate. Thank you for your time and consideration!

My dog came to me accidentally. He was initially my neighbor's dog. After they moved and left him behind, I decided to take him (Hawk) in, my old neighbors usually kept him outside, and I would sneak him treats and try to be kind to the poor dog. I brought him home, and it was truly the best decision of my life. I have never experienced the genuine love of a dog. He has made me a better person as I am more patient, kind, and forgiving. He has also made me more active as I go on my morning runs with him. Ever since I got Hawk, I have advocated for adopting older dogs to tell people about the genuine love I have for my dog, as he is truly my best friend. Adopting him has been the best decision I have ever made and has genuinely made me a dog person!

I would let them know that attending college is a privilege many people did not have growing up. I would let them know how many generations had to fight for the ability to further their education. Attending college is also an investment for themselves as they are making a foundation for job freedom with a degree and how they can begin to make a better life not only for themselves but also for their family. If the peer were to attend college, the payoff would be incredible because of the higher-earning wages they can receive. But the freedom and exposure they get to other cultures and people is a significant payoff. College graduates are usually more empathetic and socially diverse than those who do not attend college. I would let them know that if they were to participate in college, many of their peers would be willing to go to college and work hard for the life they want and deserve. Many do not realize their impact on others, and I would let them know that they have others looking up to them to see what that person does when they grow up. I have talked many peers into furthering their education, and although it was a challenge at times, I am glad to have seen my friends succeed in life.

I see nature as an escape from the business of everyday life. I started to appreciate nature after going on trails on weekend afternoons. It was an excellent way for my family and me to get out and enjoy the sunshine. After my dad passed away, I saw nature as an escape and a way to reconnect. I appreciate going on walks and have even carried on the tradition of going on trails with my kids and family members during the weekends. I see the outdoors as an excellent way to destress and reconnect with what is essential in life. I hope that I can teach future generations about the importance of nature so the next generation can realize what a great resource the outdoors is and be knowledgeable on why taking care of the environment is essential to our livelihoods.

I am currently pursuing a degree in Dental Hygiene. I plan to use my degree to help the less fortunate, especially within the Hispanic community. I come from a family with a lot of undocumented members. They are unable to get proper medical care unless it is an emergency. This can lead to a lot of problems, especially with oral hygiene. With a degree in Dental Hygiene, I will provide services to many family members and other friends who can not afford proper services. I will educate them on the importance of oral hygiene and preventative measures. Although I will not perform surgeries, I feel I can make a difference by becoming an advocate and translator. I know of many who have not sought medical attention until it was too late, and many have lost teeth, been taken advantage of, or had botched dental procedures. I have a bachelor's in healthcare management, having both degrees I feel will give me an advantage as I will be able to run a dental office and provide services. I hope to make a non-profit dental practice that can reach out to many undocumented immigrants regardless of how they will pay. My family gave up a lot for me to earn my first degree. It has helped as it has given me an advantage for my first two semesters back at school and helped with my career. I decided to go back to school when COVID came around. I was laid off for two months, and I saw the impact that COVID had on the Hispanic community. After I was brought back to work, I knew that I could do more for the community with a hands-on approach. I have been able to help my family and others with financial and insurance advice, but I knew with a Dental Hygiene degree, I could help out differently. With the scholarship money, I will attend the summer class that will give me a head start for my program. It would also help me financially for the following fall and spring semesters. I genuinely appreciate the chance for this scholarship. It makes me proud of my Hispanic heritage and the importance of my elders as they came to the States with no money and worked extremely hard to put their children through school. I hope to keep the values of hard work alive and pass down those character traits to my family.

I have found out that I am a hard worker and can persevere through traumatic times . During COVID i have worked 12hour days almost 5 days a week, I am a CNA working to become a nurse to help with the COVID wave. I have seen a lot as a CNA in the ER and it has helped me realize how great my team is, I do not think I would have been able to make it through the past two years with out the great team I work with. With COVID I have seen a lot of patients dying and families coming together in hard times. I have also seen a lot of people becoming angry with misinformation about COVID and essentially turning against healthcare staff. My ER team has become stronger facing adversity and I have also learned to speak up for others and not let others be bullied. Thank you for your time!

I had an aunt who lived with us be incarcerated when I was 11 years old, she was going through a messy divorce with her husband and was charged with domestic violence, it impacted me as I saw my mother struggling to accept her sister and best friend was going through this hard time, my cousin was also struggling as he was caught in the middle of the messy divorce and watched my aunt and uncle go through their divorce. after the arrest my aunt was sentenced to 6 months in prison for aggravated charges and with my aunt being incarcerated and my uncle not wanting to take care of our cousin, we got custody of our cousin, we saw him essentially grow up without his father in his life and his mother in jail, that was a tough year for us we went to family counseling and my cousin also saw a therapist. My cousin started improving in school when he got the help he needed and was excelling once my aunt was released for good behavior. it is common for children to start slipping in school when a loved one is incarcerated, and it can be very helpful when a teacher or friend reaches out to the student Having a loved one be incarcerated has helped open my eyes to the struggles that those who have family members face incarcerated, we were lucky enough to have social and emotional support from friends and family, I know that there are many families who don't get that support and I would like to help make a difference with that in setting up a volunteer group to reach out to kids and teenagers who have loved ones in the prison system